Qrow glared silently at Ruby, he wasn't some glorified guard dog. He should be with the scouting party, hunting for information was something he had gotten very good at. Instead here he was playing babysitter to Ruby, Gods he really hoped that wasn't going to be his life from now on. Maybe he could just take her to Raven and let his big sister figure out what to do with her. Then he could get back to what he was good at, rather then this stupid guard detail.
Ruby got up and moved away from Qrow as subtly as she could. The aura he was giving off made her feel small and guilty. Her sister and dad had walked down the wall and were talking softly. While Jaune and Pyrrha had also broken away, that just left James sitting alone on another crate looking out beyond to the farmland. "Soo, what's up with your arm? Watching you take out that Grimm all by yourself was really cool."
"My right side is all combat automail." James reached up and pulled his tie undone. He pulled his coat and shirt off showing her the sleek, corded metal muscle.
Ruby's eyes widened into silver sauers. "That's so COOL!" She reached out and touched his forearm, the metal closely mimicked the human shapes. "It's warm."
"Hmmhmm, complete sensations as well." James chuckled when she removed her hand and blushed. "It's fine, it's nice to be touched. For years I didn't have any sensation but pressure."
"Sweet!" Ruby reached out and traced over the gleaming black metal.
James turned his body and offered his hand, Ruby took it and examined the tight joints. The metal was molded into human shapes layered over strains that made up muscle and tendons. Though she would never admit it allowed, but she really liked the metal.
Qrow lifted his head and sniffed. He rolled his eyes, of course she'd be a metal head like Tai, getting all randy over fucking automail.
"I've never seen anything like this before." Ruby turned his hand over, her eyes traced up to his chest and she blushed. He looked good, her heart gave a little flutter. She had thought Weiss was badass and beautiful, her husband was a perfect match for her.
"Cutting edge Atlas technology with Schnee money backing it's research and development." James explained, finding the colour in her cheeks very amusing.
Ruby whistled in awe. "You should show my sister and dad."
"Perhaps when we have more time, if I let them at it I get the feeling I won't be allowed to move till they've studied every inch of me." James said.
Ruby's brain took that to directions he hadn't meant at all. Qrow scoffed and got up grabbing her by the arm and pulled her away. "I think that's enough sight seeing for you."
"No, Qrow. What the hell? Let me go!" Ruby pulled at her arm but got nowhere.
James grabbed Qrow's wrist and yanked him away from Ruby. "The lady said to let her go."
"Ha, she's no lady. Just looking at you was getting her all hot and bothered. I don't feel like smelling it for the next hour." Qrow glared up at James ignoring Ruby.
Her jaw dropped. "YOU ASS!"
James drew Ruby behind him slightly as he put himself between her and Qrow. "I understand you are not happy with the current arrangements but that's no excuse to make such vulgar comments about your charge. She is a young woman. I am flattered and don't mind at all. If you have that much of a problem with her scent, you can move up wind."
"Flattered? Don't you have a wife?" Qrow growled with a sneer.
James was stunned for a moment but then he smiled. "As a matter of a fact I do. She likes playing with women as well though and I am not against changing things up on occasion. Though I bet you don't even have barest grasp of how to play beyond where to put it."
Qrow turned red though if it was anger or blush, Ruby found it very hard to tell. Before he could retort James's Scroll rang.
Weiss and Oscar slid down a twisting path, before falling out into a black pit. They both splashed into the darkness and neither really wanted to know what they had landed in. Weiss gathered her wits first standing up and reaching into a pouch, she then pulled out a light stick she cracked it and held it up.
Oscar looked at himself coated in blood, sitting in a pool of blood and this time Weiss let him throw up. Weiss studied the large room, she couldn't see any walls in sight, but mounds of body parts reached up all the way to the ceiling. Multiple chutes filled the ceiling randomly opening and dumping useless body parts. The scent of rot filled the air, for flesh crafting the parts still needed to be alive. These were all dead.
"Oh my Gods." Oscar groaned pushing himself to his feet. "We're going to be stuck in here aren't we?" He gulped. "Till he comes and gets us."
Weiss reached into a pocket and pulled her Scroll out, amazingly it was clean. She hit the quick dial and put it on speaker. It was picked up instantly. "Are you okay?" James's voice came rapidly from the Scroll.
"Defiantly been better. We got to, I guess the main hall before we were ambushed. A vamp used something on Ozpin that made him vomit, knocking him flat and dropped us into some sort of refuse dump."
"Sounds like Blood Purge, nasty Tremere Discipline." Qrow said.
"He said he had a master so there must be other vampires in the fort. Oh and it's definitely a Cathedral of Flesh." Weiss said.
"So there is no point in trying for stealthy." Qrow said.
"Definitely, the entrance is a dead end hall, through the east and north tunnels. Ozpin just followed his nose." Weiss said.
"Do you have a way out?" James asked.
Weiss looked to the ceiling again. "I think so. I'll call you when we get out, though I think it will be a while."
"Alright, we'll find our way and call you when we get there." James said. "Love you, stay safe."
"Love you too, stay safe." Weiss hung up.
"So what is your idea?" Oscar asked.
Weiss pointed at a chute. "We climb the tallest mound and then I use my magic to open a chute and we climb up that."
Oscar's eyes widened. "That's a lot of climbing."
"It is, we should get going." Weiss put her Scroll away and started walking toward the middle of the room and biggest mound.
The ground squished under their feet. After a minute Oscar asked. "How are you not grossed out by this?"
"My spheres of magic are flesh magic and plant, living magics. You know part of the process to learn any magic is to grow intimate with your element." Weiss said. "Though I'll admit, I've never seen anything on this scale. The Tzimisce sure know their stuff."
"That almost sounded like admiration." Oscar said.
"This is well beyond my skills, I'd be stupid too not try and understand it." They came to the mound and Weiss shoved the light stick between her breasts. "Stick close."
The mound was a great pyramid, so the climb itself wasn't difficult. However all the limbs and bits, human and animal made Oscar feel sick. The smell alone got worse the higher they climbed, it forced Oscar to breath through his mouth, which got almost the taste of it stuck in his mouth. At least there weren't any insects, which was rather odd all things considered.
Weiss pressed on with determination, she didn't fancy waiting for someone to find them. She had half a mind to use magic to cleanse the both of them off blood but she hated using magic in such a vulgar fashion. Maybe she could 'create' a magic washcloth in one of her pockets to clean themselves off with. She kept an eye on Oscar as they climbed. His gloves and boots weren't as suited to the slowly decomposing mess as hers were. She had made them herself out of… well a few different things.
It was slow going but they managed rise to the summit. Weiss reached up and she could just brush her gloved fingers against the oozing ceiling. Oscar was more then a little glad the light stick didn't extend more the a few meters around them. After a long moment Weiss took a deep breath and started to sing. There were no words, it was more a mournful sighing song.
The ceiling slowly split open, Weiss grabbed the lip and pulled herself up with just her upper body strength then braced herself in the chute and offered a hand to Oscar. Without stopping her song.
Oscar didn't interrupt her, he had ever met someone who used song for magic before. Well there were spells that were 'chants' but those were different then what she was doing. He grabbed her hand and she pulled him up with a heave. He grabbed the moist walls and dug his boots in.
Weiss song changed and Oscar could feel hand holds forming in the wall. Back to back they climbed Weiss's song grew smooth and eerie almost a lullaby. Oscar grew really sick of the smell and feel of the fat and muscle forced out of shape. By the time they reached the top he was ready to kill something.
In response to Weiss's song the chute opened and they finally had a breath of 'fresh' air. Weiss crawled out first then pulled Oscar out of the hole. He looked around the room, it looked like a surgery room out of hell. "So what do we do? Look for everyone else or Ozpin?"
Weiss pulled out her Scroll and hoped James had remembered to turn it to vibrate. Sure enough his voice was hushed. "We are just getting in now. Where are you?"
"No idea, some sort of torture chamber." Weiss got up from the ground and reached into a pocket. Pulling out a clean white cloth she started to mop down her face and then the rest of her.
"This is a Cathedral of Flesh. That doesn't really help." Qrow groused having grabbed the phone.
"Can you sniff us out?" Weiss asked.
"Hell no, I can't smell anything other than blood. How did Ozpin stand it?" Qrow asked.
"Not a clue. Oscar and I will start exploring. Hopefully we'll find something to help us orientate ourselves." Weiss finished cleaning herself then returned to cloth to her pocket then pulled out another one and gave it to Oscar to clean himself with. The teenager grabbed it like a desperate man.
"Leave your Scroll on." James said.
"Talk to you when we get something to work with." Weiss tucked her Scroll into her pocket. "Feeling better?"
Oscar had cleaned his face and all his other crucial bits. "As best as I can."
"Then let's get going."
Qrow, James and Jaune took point, Ruby was in the middle with Pyrrha beside her while the Xiao-Longs brought up the rear. Ruby clutched her spear to her chest, everyone but Qrow had already emptied their stomachs shortly after the smell of the place hit them. The Garou had mostly stripped only in boxers, with a belt for Harbinger and shifted over into his Glabro form. It made him bigger with many of the changes that would fully form when he moved over into his Crinos already present. He was growling softly, his eyes flicking around.
The red eyed man was leery of the lack of resistance they had met so far. He was following Ozpin's scent as best he could, only to be stuck with the overwhelming scent of Ruby ... the scent of Ruby's blood. He broke away from the group and walked to the corner of a wall and knelt sniffing the ground. It was covered in well over a liter of flesh blood. "This must be where the Tremere took Ozpin down. It's Ruby's blood."
"Can you smell him out?" Ruby asked, worried for Oz.
Qrow sniffed around, lowering his body further to the ground. "Yeah, something dragged him." His ears twitched and he pressed a finger to his lips. "Something in the next room." Keeping crouched he slinked forward, disturbing everyone but Tai with how easily he moved like a wolf even in this partly formed shape.
He stood fluidly up and strode into the great chamber. It was just a grotesque as last time but this time the flesh crafted woman looked instant open them. The Malkavian side was turned toward them, it lifted it's arms in jerking motions and cried out. "I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL!"
Then it SCREAMED the shock waves were visible in the as it sang out it's scream. Everyone's hands flew to their ears and Qrow's bled, he was forced back into his human shape. The monster caste off this skirt of flesh and stood, massive towering at least fifteen feet tall. A great black spider head with covered in white Grimm bone, was revealed under the two vampires hips replacing their legs. It's glowing nine red eyes, shifted around looking everywhere at once. It's maw opened in four sections splitting open to reveal row upon row of teeth. It reared back and four of it's six legs, they were a twisted mix of wolf and spider. The last two were thick like gorilla arms with human shaped hands. It's back also appeared to be a spiders behind all made of black Grimm. The Malkavian screamed again leaping forward, smashing the table to bits as it raced towards them at a call. "I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL!"
"SCATTER!" Tai yelled, grabbing Ruby and dashing to the left with Yang.
James whipped out his gun and started firing, running to the right. Though it didn't even seem to notice the bullets.
Pyrrha looked over to Qrow who was still holding his ears. She pulled out her sword out her sword and shield, standing her ground. Jaune formed up beside her, his own weapons at the ready. The monsters bared down on them raising two of its arms to SMASH down on their shields. Even with their Aura's up, Jaune had to call upon his Fortitude Discipline to keep his arms from giving out. "I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL!" The Malkavian torso screamed pounding on the shields in a clumsy rhythm, like a child having a temper tantrum.
"Qrow Get up!" Pyrrha yelled through the pounding on her shield.
Qrow shook his head his Aura healing his ears. He staggered to his feet and took several steps back. "Hold it for a second longer!" He called on his wolf and RIPPED his way straight into his Crinos. He hallowed in pain as his limbs changed faster than his skin. Fur growing before skin had fully formed. He grabbed Harbinger as he changed and as soon as it was through he leapt into the air and drove his blade into the Grimm monsters head.
It grabbed him and tossed the massive werewolf aside. The Malkavian grabbed Harbinger by the blade and ripped it out of itself, then dropped it. "I MUST BE BEAUTIFUL!" It took a deep breath, it's whole body expanded and it screamed again with concussive force directed solely on Qrow.
His Aura did not help, he covered his ears and cowered. Pyrrha looked to Jaune who nodded and crouched raising his shield above his head. Pyrrha jump upon it and Jaune tossed her up into the air. She jabbed at the Malkavian with her spear and it lifted it's arms to shield it's face. Pyrrha landed on the top of the spider head and raced around the back.
The second vampire behind the Malkavian stirred in a series of violent twitches with the sound of bone grinding on bone. It was male, with it's mouth sew shut big baby blue eyes stared out at her. Then it raised a hand and blasted her with a Discipline, sending her flying off of it's body. Pyrrha felt the Discipline seek her blood but her Aura projected her.
Jaune ran straight for the Grimm, the spider head opened it's maw with a shrill scream. Jaune dropped to the ground sliding under it intent on stabbing it's belly. Only as he slid the Grimm rose higher on it's legs and it's belly opened like a zipper. White Grimm bone lined the sides as human arms reached down from around the sides, the middle of it was one gaping maw of gnashing teeth, human and animal alike. Jaune couldn't keep in the scream as the Grimm descended.
James dove for the Grimm, rolling onto his back and catching the Grimm with all his limbs. "GO, GO!" He grunted as he held it up, the arms pulling at him.
Jaune raced out from under only to turn on his heel and cut at the arms grabbing James with Pyrrha.
The Xiao-Longs entered the fray, Taiyang raced through the hall leaping into the air. Distracted the Grimm turned away from three Huntsmen. It screamed again the force knocking Tai from the air, Yang came in dodging and weaving her way through the stalactites. Firing from her Ember Celica, the shots had negligible effect though. The Grimm dropped to all six legs again and raced towards Taiyang like a large centipede. It rose again on its hind legs reaching out to grab Tai.
Only for Qrow to hit it.
It staggered to the side as several hundred pounds of muscle smashed into it with the force of a freight train. The torsos of the vampires twisted with crunching sounds so the Malkavian was facing it again. It opened its mouth to scream again.
Pyrrha and James opened fire together, filling it's mouth full of bullets. The second vampire woke again, it lifted its hands and blood poured out of the monsters skin. Red human blood, it coagulated into a thick shield that the bullets bounced off of. Qrow backed away and covered his ears as the Malkavian screamed again.
Ruby watched from behind a stalagmite, her father had told her to stay put and she wasn't going to disobey. She watched pain warp Qrow's lupine features the whole room groaned in pain as the concussive power of the scream affected everything. She didn't know any magic for this, she wasn't trained to fight near enough to be helpful. Tears collected in her eyes, what use is there being in a Silver Eyed Warrior when I can't help?
The Grimm twisted around the torso's moving with it, the monster pounced on Qrow. It's spider mouth opening wide. Thick fangs slide out from the mandibles and it bit down. Qrow raised his arms to protected his chest, everyone could see his Aura glow red as the teeth cut into them. Yang bolted forward just as Qrow's Aura gave under the enormous pressure exerted by the mandibles. The Malkavian watched him with glee as the fangs jabbed forward piercing deep into Qrow's chest.
Yang jumped blasting down shots upon it's back. The second vampire twisted around to look at her, it flicked it's hands out Discipline after Discipline in the form of red ords struck Yang. The blood shield twisted and turned becoming acidic. Yang stumbled back falling off of the monsters back.
"Yang!" Tai ran forward, as the Grimm turned and brought it's fists down on the huntress. Everyone else save Ruby was already in movement. But they were all much to slow, it pummeled down on Yang. She rolled out of the way as her Aura started to fail, rising to her feet. She punched out at the Grimm arm and it made a satisfying crunch.
The Malkavian screamed and the torso's turned so the second vampire was facing Yang. It's blood shield had failed but it raised it hands - Yang jumped back into it facing down it's back to punch the vampire. It let her get within range, her right fist flew. Then all Yang knew was pain.
"YANG!" Taiyang screamed blasting forward and catching her as she fell from the Grimm's back. Red quickly stained his clothes as blood gushed from the stump of her right arm. Tears collected in his eyes. "Pyrrha why don't you just barbecue this bitch!"
At the word barbecue the Grimm rounded on Pyrrha and charged. Pyrrha raced away jumping over bloody table bits. As the fireballs flew from her fingertips, the Malkavian paused and gave it's a hug. Black Grimm icor raced up from the body to coat the vampires protecting them from the fire.
"It's very intelligent." James said running with Jaune to strike at it's back legs.
The spider rounded on them, just as Oscar and Weiss burst into the great hall. Oscar saw the monster and clapped his hands together then dropped to the ground. Stone ruptured from under the Grimm in massive pillars, bursting up straight into it's belly. Weiss pulled out her sword and flicked her fingers white speed glyphs forming under her feet as she blasted into the fray. She stabbed at the Grimm, blasting around it upon her white glyphs.
"That is quite of enough of that." The voice was grating.
Oscar's summoned rock crumbled the whole hall groaned as what had been damaged pulled itself back together. Weiss landed and saw Yang she raced over and started humming.
Everyone else looked to the end of the hall. The Archbishop stood in the middle of the hall, with the Tremere that had knocked Ozpin flat beside him. To his left was a horrible flesh crafted monster with the arms of a spider, it's lower half was distorted muscles mimicking a snakes body. It's torso was split down the middle and it's mouth was split her chin.
Within her was Ozpin, his body was completely covered by the monsters torso, it's lips were wrapped around his cheeks and jaw in a perverted form of kiss. It held him almost loving inside of it.
"Come my dears." The Archbishop said and the Grimm monster raced to his side. He addressed the group. "Where are you hiding the Silver Eyed Warrior?" He was met with silence and he sighed, he lifted a hand elegantly. "This one is your friend yes? I will trade him for her."
Ruby lurched to her feet but Tai glared at her and she dropped back down. Pyrrha and Jaune traded a long look and Pyrrha stepped forward. "I am the Silver Eyed Warrior. Let my friend go and I will come to you willingly."
Pyrrha looked over at Ozpin as she walked, she knew what she was doing. She knew that Ozpin would probably frenzy as soon as he hit the ground.
"You're eyes are not silver."
"I wear contacts." She stopped well away from the Archbishop, she dearly hoped he didn't know what Ruby smelled like.
Thankfully neither vampire could smell her through the scents of all the other freshly spilt blood. With another wave of his hand the flesh crafted monster, slowly opened it's torso from the bottom up, it pulled Ozpin out of it and drew back from the 'kiss' they could see it's long tongue and been down Oz's throat and no one really wanted to think about how much further it had gone. Ozpin dropped to the ground and crumpled a whimper escaping him. His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in bites as if hundreds of rats had been nibbling on him. He hugged at his insides before in his starved state he unlike the other well fed vampires smelled Pyrrha.
Pyrrha braced herself and closed her eyes when she saw Oz fall head over heels into frenzy. His teeth at her neck wasn't even a unwelcome sensation, he bit down harder then Jaune ever did and sucked ever harder in his desperation. James moved to stop Oz but Jaune raised a arm stopping him.
The Archbishop watched on amused, he planned on Embracing the Silver Eyed Warrior so he did not care if Ozpin drained her of her blood.
Pyrrha felt that familiar fire in her heart as Oz took the last drops of her blood. Ozpin drew away from her neck sanity returning to his eyes. Pyrrha saw his look of horror and despair and smiled. "Go. Protect them for me."
Ozpin backed away and nodded, he ran down the hall to the rest of them. "We should go, respect her wishes."
James and Weiss were surprised when, Tai, Oscar and Jaune all nodded. "Qrow needs help. Don't forget Harbinger." Tai said picking Yang up, Weiss was still humming the blood from Yangs arm was slow and sluggish.
Ozpin grabbed Harbinger from the floor as he walked over to Qrow, the huge Garou still lay where the Grimm had bit him. He labored for breath as Ozpin knelt beside him and reached out putting a hand on the fur covered chest. The Archbishop was right, he had no gift for healing others, still he reached out with his Obeah Discipline and looked for the poison. He found it quickly, and tried to stop it. Pyrrha's blood coiled around his fingers and he changed it into healing energy and poured it into Qrow.
The red eyed man groaned and reverted to human, his blood pooling around him. He blinked up at Oz, his vision slowing coming back into focus. "Oh, it's you."
"We need to leave, can you stand?" Ozpin asked, ignoring Qrows tone.
Qrow tried to sit up but his muscles were in shock, Ozpin helped pulling him to his feet. Qrow whined in pain and didn't turn down the help. The group walked for the exist, Ruby only running over to join them when she was sure the vampires were still focused on Pyrrha.
As soon as they were past the doorway. Jaune said. "We need to run, she won't be able to hold it back much longer."
"Come to be then, be Embraced." The Archbishop said extending his arms to her.
"No." Pyrrha said and let her fire out. She burned and tossed her arms open wide fire blasting out of her in waves. "I am a phoenix, burn in the fire of my rebirth."
The group only just hit the road as the Keep of the fort exploded in fire. They looked up at it and it was Weiss that spoke. "We all need to leave, this is a serious breach of the Masquerade. Camarilla and Sabbat will be crawling all over this place."
"Where can we even go?" Ruby asked, they had come here for a place to hide.
Taiyang looked at Qrow, leaning on Ozpin bleeding from to nasty bites on his chest barely lucid. He looked to Yang, Weiss was bandaging the stump of his daughter's arm, he could think of only one place they could go. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Scroll, it took him a minute to find her number. It rang several times before picking up. "What?" The word was snapped.
"Your brother is dying of blood loss and poison, your daughter just lost her arm, Ruby is here with me as well. We're at Fort Verdant and just broke the Masquerade. Raven we need your help." Tai listed each thing calmly.
There was silence on the call for several long seconds. "Why should I care?"
"We're your family."
Silence again, then a long suffering sigh. "Get out of the fort, I'll come get you." Tai could feel her shaking her head. "Family only showing up when they need something." Raven ended the call.